You are here

The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

If you think all Scandinavian writing is dark and and depressing, try reading The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.It may be dark humor, but it is immensely entertaining.Allan could be Forrest Gump with more IQ points and a Swedish accent—he moves around the world stage in his long life, meeting world leaders and leaving a trail of destruction (both accidental and purposeful) behind him.

Allan Karlsson does not want to be in a nursing home ruled by enjoyment-squashing Director Alice.He is 100 years old and okay with dying, but he’d rather go get a drink of vodka than appear at his birthday celebration.So he climbs out his window into the flowerbed and makes his escape.

Military establishments, political systems and police procedures are gently lampooned by a cast of eccentric characters, both fictional and real.This imaginative book is both endearing and quirky.If you liked Where’d You Go, Bernadette? you should read this.